Saddleback Condo Fire

Fire Destroys Condo Buildings at Saddleback Ski Resort

SANDY RIVER PLANTATION, Maine - Fire swept through a development at the shuttered Saddleback Ski resort in Sandy River Plantation Tuesday night.

Rangeley Fire Chief Tim Pellerin says the call came in just after 4 p.m., and once units arrived parts of the Rock Pond condominium development were ablaze.

"So it was basically a three-story wood-frame building, fully-engulfed fire coming out every window and every door," Pellerin says. "I mean, I could see it from town - when we were leaving town in Rangeley to Saddleback Mountain we could see it."

Sixteen area fire departments responded, and it took more than three hours to knock the fire down. One unit was destroyed and others heavily damaged, with total losses estimated at $800,000.

There were no injuries and no one was in the units - the ski resort has been closed since 2015, while an effort by a group of area investors to raise enough funds to buy and revive the resort has yet to bear fruit.

Chief Pellerin, who is also Rangeley's town manager, says the region is enjoying a solid winter season, with heavy snow cover drawing a steady stream of snowmobilers and other winter recreationists.

The state Fire Marshal's Office is investigating the cause of the fire. Chief Pellerin says he saw no "red flags" to indicate foul play.

Comments

According to my sources, it was a unit owned by the Berry's (the current owners of the mountain). As such, I certainly agree with the assessment in the article above, "Chief Pellerin says he saw no "red flags" to indicate foul play."